AN ILLUSTRATED FOLIO FROM A SHAHNAMA: RUSTAM KILLS SOHRAB

MUGHAL INDIA, LATE 16TH CENTURY

AN ILLUSTRATED FOLIO FROM A SHAHNAMA: RUSTAM KILLS SOHRAB
MUGHAL INDIA, LATE 16TH CENTURY
Opaque pigments heightened with gold and black ink on paper, the hero Rustam killing Sohrab in a landscape watched by horsemen and attendants, with lines of black nasta'liq script above and below, the verso with full text of 25ll. of black nasta'liq script arranged within four gold-outlined columns, slight flaking to miniature, restoration to folio corner

Lot essay

The two heroes fought on opposite sides during the war between the kingdoms of Iran and Turan. Our folio shows the moment where Rustam mortally wounds his opponent Sorhab on the battlefield. Sorhab, suspecting his father to be Rustam, twice asks not to fight during the encounter. When forced by Rustam, hesitant and anxious he relents to. It is only after killing Sohrab that Rustam realized he was his son, recognizing on Sohrab's arm the bracelet he had given Tahmina, Sohrab's mother, long before.